Mystery Letter
by StormWildcat
Summary: Naoto receives a letter in her shoe locker at school. Who is it from? What do they want? She goes to Samegawa River to find out.


Description: My first first person fanfic in Naoto's POV! Please enjoy the adorable!

I love a good mystery. It takes me to another place. A place where I'm the could-be hero if I'm observant and intelligent enough. Honestly I believe these qualities should be the base of any hero. Puzzles left up to me to solve make my heart pump. Give me a crime and a lead and leave me alone. I can guarantee that I'll have it solved before you can say "Sherlock".

But this is different. There is no crime so-to-speak. At least not that I know of. All I have is a letter from my shoe locker.

What is it with people at this school and leaving me notes? I've only been in Inaba for roughly a year and I've a decent-sized collection of letters in a drawer at home. Some of them were from confused girls, sealed with a kiss sticker and laced with perfume. Obviously they hadn't heard from the rumor mill yet that I was their gender, though some of them may not have cared.

Either way, none of the letters were important enough to me to look into. But this one. This one was different. There were no discerning details to tell me the business of the parchment. There was no envelope, only the paper itself folded into what one could only describe as a small football. The writing inside was scrawled in tiny, irregular letters, "Meet me at Samegawa River bank after school". That was it. No signature at the bottom, no "Dear Naoto" with a strange-shaped heart drawn around my name, no dragged on confessions. Just a destination and a time frame.

I stared at the note for awhile, soaking in what little information I could from the clue. The writing was sloppy at best. Not to sound sexist, but I had to assume it was from a man. This male knew that I was a student at Yasogami High, hence why the note was in my locker. However whether he goes to my school or sent the note in with another student remains to be seen. Samegawa River is relatively public. Good. I hate to admit it but I'm not comfortable meeting with an unknown man in a private place so Samegawa River allowed me to make the bet that I'd be safe during this get-together. "It's warm out today so there should be people out as well".

You ever watch those movies with detectives that will randomly talk to themselves out loud as they go through clues in their heads? Indeed I do that as well. It helps the brain digest the information better, I find.

I followed a small group of chattering girls out of the school as I set out for the river. It would be a decent walk but I knew there would be plenty of people on the street. The weather called forth all the neighborhood kids from their dwellings and beckoned them outside to play. During my venture I witnessed people walking their dogs, children playing catch and teenagers gossiping while sitting outside family-owned cafés drinking coffee. Coffee is such a strong drink. How can they drink it? I prefer tea myself.

Continuing on my investigation I mulled over what little information I had assessed while I walked. I was meeting a male who possibly went to my school at Samegawa River. It pained me to not know what the conversation would be pertaining to, but that was part of the chase in this case. The other part was finding the culprit, the author of my letter.  
I passed by a group of students moving slower then I could handle, not taking notice of who they were until one called out to me.

"Oh, Naoto-kun!"

Under normal circumstances I'd continue on my way after giving a small wave or nod, but this voice was one that I respected more than most. "Ah, Yosuke-senpai. Hello". The rest of his group consisted of Yukiko, Chie and Rise, all of which greeted me as well with smiles and hello's of their own.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Yosuke questioned, forcing himself and his herd to keep up with my stride. Usually I keep things like this little mystery to myself unless I suspect the person asking is involved. However these were my fellow detectives, and my friends, so I decided to clue them in.

"I received a strange invitation in my locker today at school," I explained, keeping up my pace.

"Ooh! Is it to a party?! I didn't get one!" Rise pouted. I couldn't help but chuckle. Her childish mannerisms were entertaining on occasion.

"Heh, no Rise-chan. The letter is for a meeting at Samegawa River".

"OoOoOo, a secret meeting at the river? Who are you meeting, Naoto-kun?" Yosuke's voice cooed in a teasing tone. I didn't let it get to me. He was just like this and I was used to it by now.

"I don't actually know. I couldn't deduce who it was from the letter except that it's probably a male writer," I explain, picking up speed.

"Aah, a guy wants to meet you at the river, huh? Well, have fun!" Yosuke called out as he grabbed the girls and held them back at a slower pace allowing me to go on my way alone. As odd as the gesture was, I thanked him for it quietly. Seems that he could pick up on my hints that I needed to go and I couldn't risk having a parade behind me.

I could hear the girls protesting of course. They probably wanted to follow me to make sure I'd be okay. They seem to treat me like a little sister which makes me feel great during normal friend gatherings but when I'm on the trail of a case and I don't need help, I like to be a lone wolf. I'll have to text them later to let them know I'm alright.

I finally made it to Samegawa River. As I had predicted there were a few people around. A family was having a picnic not too far from me. An elderly man was fishing happily along the bank, humming a quiet tune to keep himself entertained but not scare any of the fish away. The sky was taking on an orange hue, tinting the surface of the water. It was beautiful. But I didn't have the time to enjoy it. I was there waiting for an unidentified contact on matters that were classified.

I kept an eye and ear out for anything suspicious, anyone that could be my potential acquaintance. There were a few kids from school, but none of which paid much attention to me after they realized who I was. They were checked off my list. I could also take off the kids playing nearby with a dog, the elderly gentleman and the family eating. "How dare you be late," I muttered under my breath. To be so secretive about your purpose and then not show up on time is the pinnacle of rudeness. They'd be getting an earful from me after they explained themselves.

What's great about this person being late to our meeting is that it allows my mind time to think things over and rearrange puzzle pieces in my head. What's bad about this person being late? It allows my mind time to think things over and rearrange puzzle pieces in my head. Scenarios ranged from old "friends" that I had no interest in seeing again to a secret agent from some organization that wanted to know what really happened with the murders last year who were aware of the world within the TV. I also considered the idea that I wasn't meeting with just one culprit, but many, and that they were going to be making a crime scene, the center of which being my body.

It really is amazing sometimes the imagination of a young person. Another reason why I believe it's a decent idea to hurry with the growing up process. Then maybe I won't psych myself out so much when I'm waiting to meet with my mystery writer. At least I have some time to calm down.

"H-Hey, Naoto".

"EEE!"

Did I really just squeal? Oh my God. That's so terribly juvenile.

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry I scared ya". There's an aplogetic hand touching my shoulder. I had recoiled into a kind of amorphous ball. I probably look pathetic. But something about that hand and that voice; they were comforting somehow. I had to eventually confront my contact and now was as good a time as any.

"Kanji?" How had I not noticed him arrive? It's not like he's a small person. I must've been more distracted than I thought. "What are you doing here? This is pretty far from your shop. Are you on an errand?" I watched him chew around some thoughts in his head for a few moments. For some reason whenever I ask him questions like that he can't seem to answer right away. I assume it's from his rocky past with law enforcement. I suppose I wouldn't be comfortable answering a detective either if that was the case. He must still be having a hard time separating me from them. I should try to make it easier for him. "I'm not interrogating you or anything. I'm just curious what brings you way out here today". I use a smile to comfort him and he seems to be frozen now. And a little red. I hope he's not sick.

"I-I know you're not interrogating me. And no I'm not here on an errand". His hand starts idly scratching at the back of his neck, a sign of nervousness. What is he so nervous about? Perhaps something is wrong.

"Are you in some kind of trouble? You're showing signs of climbing anxiety," I explain reaching a hand towards his face to feel his temperature. "Or are you feeling ill?"  
My movement seems to throw him off. He shrinks back away after I manage to touch him. He's roughly a full foot taller than me. Thank goodness for platform shoes. I could tell from the second I had my fingers on his skin that he wasn't sick. Again, thank goodness. I've been worried for awhile that he's been sick. He's always some shade of red or pink when I see him.

"No no! I'm fine I promise. I'm just…jumpy, I guess". His eyes are scanning the river, watching the kids from school disperse and the family start to pack up their picnic basket.

"Jumpy?" I'm getting more concerned by the minute. "Jumpy about what? Anything I can help you with?"

Now he's trying to look at me but keeps getting distracted by the few people remaining around us. "Well, maybe. Really depends on how this meeting goes".

Meeting? He's meeting someone too? Huh, what were the odds that he'd be convening with someone at the river same day as me. Strange. Would the others be showing up soon too? No. Yosuke held the girls back earlier and judging by their tranquil pace before they acknowledged my passing them, they were in no rush. So it's just Kanji. I wonder if the same contact had summoned him.

"A meeting? Did you also receive a note in your shoe locker at school?" I rifle through my pocket and show him my tiny lined paper football. He looks at it then seems to lose his ability to speak properly again. Maybe he has received a similar letter, or his was more disturbing in some way than mine. "Considering your reaction, I'd say you have. What did it say?"

"No! I don't have a note! It's just that….I…." There he goes clamming up again. I'm starting to get a little frustrated. It's not from Kanji's incoherence, it's from being worried for both of us, especially since the contact has yet to show, I don't know what the male writer wants and now I have to be concerned about Kanji. His stuttering could potentially be signs of an underlying medical condition. A new mystery to solve later on. One case at a time, Naoto, one case at a time.

"Hm?" It's all I could say. Or rather, it's all I wanted to say. It was possible that he was overloaded from my barrage of questions. I'll allow him time to process now. Hopefully something useful will come of it.

"I wrote the note!" Well, that's much more useful than I had expected. Regardless I was now even more perplexed than I had been a few moments ago. I now have the identity of my writer (of course I was correct that it was a male that attends Yasogami High), but I can't begin to figure out what he could possibly need to discuss.

"You wrote this? Then why didn't you just sign your name on the bottom? Why were you so mysterious about our discussion?"

He's mentally chewing again. Probably attempting to find the correct words. I wish he didn't think he had to put his thoughts through a sieve to speak to me. I'd rather just know what he's thinking right away because its raw and pure. Not to mention its wasting time.

"Honestly? I didn't know if you'd meet up with me if you knew". He pauses. "Plus, I know how much you like figurin' stuff out like this. Thought you might have fun".  
Of course I would've met with him. It's ridiculous to think that I wouldn't. I might have actually shown up even earlier if I knew I was meeting with him and I wouldn't have had a near heart attack when I arrived. And the fact he wanted to give me a mystery to solve was, admittedly, adorable. I could've said anything from my thoughts, but against my usual cool-and-collectedness, the least favorable one escaped me.

"That's-that's actually quite cute".

If there had been a desk in front of me, my forehead would have collided with it. That sentence was not me. At least not normally. But I guess that unusual times call for unusual mutterings.

"Cute?!" That quickly-becoming signature red hue is back on Kanji's cheeks. Fantastic, I've embarrassed him and in turn, myself. How could I let that slip out?

"I'm so sorry," I apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to just say that".

"It's alright!" He seems excited. "I mean, if that's what you were thinking, then I'd like you to tell me. It's cool to know I did a good job anyways". He let out a shaky little chuckle. He was right; he did do a good job. I needed a decent mystery and this definitely got my brain working. Yet I still didn't have all the answers I needed to consider the case closed.

"Haha, okay then". I couldn't help but giggle with him. My face feels a bit warm. Am I getting sick? I'll have to check the rumor mill later to see if there's a cold or flu going around. Illnesses spread like wildfire in schools. Alright, back to the matter at hand. "So what did you want to talk about? Obviously it's something you didn't want anyone overhearing". Most of the people that had been enjoying the nice weather were gone excluding the elderly fisherman. I've decided I like him. He seems jovial.

"Well, it's something I've never talked about before and I don't need our senpai listenin' in and makin' fun of me".

"That's a valid point". It was true and the truth made me laugh again. Between Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko and even Rise (though she's not our senpai), the chance of having a real private conversation was wishful thinking.

Something he's never talked about before? This could be about anything. The topics could range from his real dealings with the biker gangs to his love for sewing. (During the investigation of the murders, I read his file as dictated by the police about his biker brawls, but I know how one-sided and biased those can be. I have always been curious to know Kanji's side of the violence). Or it could be about his father. I knew he wasn't around and assumed he had either left him and his mother or had died and neither of those options was happy but I could relate better to one than the other.

"Well, let's sit down and talk, shall we?" I gestured towards a soft looking spot in the grass closer to the riverbank. He only nods and smiles before sitting down, his legs folded under him Indian-style. I kneel on the ground next to him. Sitting on my heels allows me to be close to his height and look him in the eyes. If he's going to tell me something serious, I'd like to keep eye contact.

He starts ripping up pieces of grass and playing with the small blades, tearing them down the middle and wrapping them around each other. He seems to be calming down at least. That'll make whatever the conversation was going to be easier on both of us.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing so I'm probably gonna screw it up and be too bold or something, but I can't not say anything anymore. I promised myself I'd come clean".  
Come clean? Did he do something bad? Now that I know his personality well, I would never expect him to commit a crime of any sort aside from maybe loitering. And even then I'm sure it'd be because he was spaced out and not entirely his fault. But if he had it would be smart to come to me, considering my connections to the police department and uncanny ability to talk sense into people.

"You can tell me, Kanji. I'll do anything I can to help you".

"Help? Me?" He's turned toward me. Why does he look so confused? I watch his eyes pop open. "Oh! That's not what I meant. I mean-"His attention returns to his grass blades which are now weaved together in a small braid. He rips another piece from its root and cleans the dirt from it, readying it to join its friends.

Before I can even open my mouth to assure him he could talk to me, he speaks. "I mean that-" Insert deep breath here. "I needed to tell you how I feel about y-you".

"M-Me?!" Now I'm really lost.

"Yeah. Truth is I really like you, Naoto. And not like the others. I like, like you, like you". The emphasis on the first "like you" alone made me dizzy with surprise. My eyes might pop out of my head. Did I really just hear that correctly? The way he said it, it means that he likes me more than a friend. (Something I've picked up since attending public school). To put it another way, he has a crush on me. Right now there's a million things and nothing flying through my mind all at the same time. I wasn't prepared for this. I was prepared for the police, a kid with a rotten underhanded deal, even a group of people bent on my physical destruction. But this! This, I'm afraid, I'll never be ready to hear or know how to properly respond.

In the meantime, I'll just react how any normal teenager does. You know, since I can't really help it, being among their numbers and all. "You, you like me? Really?" My face is hot again. Now I'm sure I'm not sick. I'm blushing.

"Yeah". He's not sick either. "I have for awhile now, actually".

"Since when?" His cheeks are even darker. That's a sign that what he's going to say is likely to be a bigger surprise.

"Honestly? Since I met you".

What?! When he met me I was still under the guise of a boy! I know the story of Kanji's shadow, about his issues with his sexuality, but I know that it was covering the real underlying problem of feeling accepted. He's proclaimed on several occasions against Yosuke-senpai that he so-called "swings that way". So why would he say that he had a crush on me back then?!

"That, that doesn't make any sense though. I thought you weren't-"

"I'm not!" He's fidgeting with more grass. It looks like he's constructing something. Must be a nervous habit. "I couldn't figure it out either. I asked myself all the time, why do I like this dude? It doesn't make any sense. But when we fought your shadow, and it tattled that you were a girl. Heh, I was, what's that word? Elated?"

Elated? That's a strong word. "Elated means extremely happy". I couldn't stop myself from defining it for him and it sounded silly quoting the dictionary. I want to make sure he knows what he's saying though. No need for miscommunication when it comes to something like this.

"Oh good, I actually learned from vocab lessons," he chuckled out. It looks like he's fighting back a smile. "Anyway, I was real happy to hear that you're a girl. Because then everything made sense". Kanji's turned towards me now, and he's trying hard to lock eyes with me. "You're super smart and determined, you don't take crap from anybody and you get to the bottom of things. Sure you can be stubborn, but hey, who am I to judge that kind of character? I'm not exactly the type to let things go either". He's reaching toward me, but he's apprehensive. Too bad I'm frozen from shock. "And, ya know, that hat of yours can't really hide how cute you are".

I think I might explode. Or implode. Maybe I'll just pass out. I can't even form a complete thought. "No one's ever said that to me. It's-". Kanji looks like he's bracing himself. "It's really touching". He's watching me now, much like a deer watches a car barrel towards it down the highway. It's his turn to be surprised and my turn to not be able to match his gaze. "I guess this all explains why you're always red when I'm nearby. You've been blushing. And this whole time I thought you might have some kind of condition". I laugh. It really is a laughable reason now that I know what the real cause behind the change in pigmentation in his cheeks is.

Taking a second to fill my lungs, I continue. "I apologize for not responding properly. I'm not very experienced when it comes to this kind of interaction. Truthfully, this is the first time anyone has been so sincere with me and told me to my face that they…they liked me". It looks like this blushing thing is going to happen more often. Not sure how I feel about that.

"It-It's alright. I'm not that great neither". Kanji runs his fingers through his hair. His face is serious. "I just felt like I needed to tell you before I couldn't take it anymore and did something stupid".

"Did something stupid? Like what?" Now he has me at a complete loss. He's certainly putting me through the ringer today. He's red again and biting his lower lip. Something tells me this is going to be-

"I dunno, like kiss you outta nowhere". His hand immediately clamps over his mouth. It's too late though, Kanji. It's been said and there's no way you can take it back. I've heard you. And I may hear nothing else for the rest of the day in my head. I'm staring at him. My eyes are practically burning from being pulled so wide.

"K-Kiss me?!" I'm squeaking again. But I'm pretty sure that's a natural reaction to someone basically saying they want to kiss you, so I'll forgive myself at the moment. "You want…to kiss me?"

"Well, um, I". Poor Kanji looks like he's going to pass out from embarrassment, or just plain run for the hills. Not that I blame him, but the poor thing. I know I wouldn't be doing much better. "I mean, the thought's crossed my mind before. You're just so damn cute it makes me want to hold you in my arms and kiss you, ya know?" He's reading my face, which is no doubt completely dumbfounded. He turns away from me. "Like I said, before I do something stupid".

"I don't think it's stupid at all". What am I doing? My body is acting on its own. There's no thinking. Only doing. My hand is laying on his forearm attempting to coax him back towards me. My eyes are fixing on his. My mouth is moving. "Actually, I think it'd be kind of n-nice". Blushing. Seriously I might overheat at this point.

"Y-You do?!" Kanji's back towards me again, eyes as big as saucers. He takes a minute to breathe then asks the question of the day. "D-Do you want me to?"

That's a very good question. What do I want him to do? Do I want him to kiss me? I've never been kissed before. Is he the one I want to give my first to? Will it live up to the hype I overhear from my classmates about kissing their boyfriends and girlfriends being awesome? What will this kiss make us? Will we be dating? Or just friends that kissed before?

"I think…I do". My, I'm being particularly bold today. I guess that's enough questions. It's time to get some answers.

For a few seconds we're unsure of what to do. One of us leans in when the other turns away shyly. I'm sure to any remaining spectators this is hilariously amateur. Eventually we get in sync with each other and move in. My eyes flutter closed and I hold my breath. I feel his lips touch mine. We're kissing. Oh god, we're kissing. My heart, its beating so fast it might leap out of my chest. But this kiss. This kiss feels….amazing. His lips are surprisingly soft. I can feel little jolts fly through me. It feels like I'm almost melting into him. All of my worry is washing away and all I care about is this kiss.

We revel in the feeling before breaking the kiss for the awkward moment where we both wonder what to do next. I look up at him dreamily and speak, once again, without thinking first. "Kanji, I-I think I like you too". I also think I broke you, Kanji. He's just staring back at me, frozen in time. I can hear his brain struggling to fully comprehend what was just said to him. I should repeat myself to clarify. "I've liked you for quite awhile now, but I just never took the time to really explore the feeling. Like I said, I'm not very good with these kinds of situations".

Suddenly I feel a finger hook delicately under my chin and pull me into another sweet kiss. It seems he's regained consciousness and feeling in his extremities. The kiss ends and he just quietly laughs to himself, grinning widely. "I'm so glad". He scoots closer to me and wraps a large arm around me, practically hiding me from the rest of the world, keeping me to himself. He leans down, only stammering slightly. "So, d-do you want to get some food with me sometime?"

Smiling, I lean my head against his chest. "That sounds great, Kanji".

Another case closed by yours truly. This one will go down as my favorite mystery of all.


End file.
